Kayak Paddle for Madi
In March every year for the past 10 years, Stephen Benson and about 20 of his mates embark upon a 70km charity paddle (in kayaks from Bulahdelah down to the broadwater, around the Myall Lakes, and back to Bulahdelah).
Upon hearing about BrAshA-T through Russell Murray, father of A-T Superstar, Madi, Stephen and his group have kindly chosen our foundation as the beneficiary of their fundraising effort from the 8th to the 10th of March 2019.
Please sponsor one of the paddlers, or the team as a whole, to help us in our quest to find a cure for A-T!
Our Mission
- Research - fund medical research into the causes, prevention and treatment of A-T
- Awareness - engage in activities to raise community awareness of A-T
- Support - provide emotional support and limited financial assistance for sufferers of A-T
- Fundraising - engage in fundraising activities to make it possible to fulfil Our Mission
Our Achievements So Far
Since getting up and running in late 2007, we are starting to bear the fruits of our efforts with considerable progress towards achieving our long-term goals:
- Created a support network for families around Australia affected by A-T who are now in contact with each other as well as the foundation.
- The National A-T Clinics are held in Brisbane at The Wesley Hospital and Wesley Medical Research (WMR), in conjunction with Lady Cilento Children's Hospital and the University of Queensland Centre for Clinical Research (UQCCR), typically in May and November each year.
The aim of the clinic is to enable A-T patients to see experts who have experience dealing with the symptoms and side effects of the genetic disorder, as well as gathering essential data and research to assist in finding a cure. - Committed ongoing funding towards an allowance program to enable A-T families to attend the National A-T Clinic.
- Committed ongoing funding to support a team of researchers from UQCCR (University Queensland Centre for Clinical Research) led by Professor Martin Lavin.
- Committed ongoing funding to support a team of researchers from AIBN (Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology) led by Professor Ernst Wolvetang.
- Funded researchers to attend Scientific Research Meetings at ATW2008 in Shiga (Japan), ATW2010 in Los Angeles, ATW2012 in New Delhi, ATW2015 in Beijing and ATW2017 in Milan.
- Funded researchers to attend the A-T Clinical Conference in the Netherlands in 2014 and Warsaw in 2016.
- Raised significant funds through holding events such as Charity Dinners, Movie Nights, Golf Days, Membership Drives, Merchandise Sales, etc.
- Operated the foundation on 100% volunteer effort thereby ensuring maximum funds are directed to finding a cure for A-T.
